SERVICES OF THE MARINES 
DURING THE CIVIL WAR.* 

" Set7i2)e7' Fldclis." 



y 



AUG 19188; 



The United States Marine Corjis, although 
composed comparatively of a small force, has j^ \^^ 1l 
performed a most important part since its or- 
ganization, on the lOtli of November, 1775, in 
all of the struggles through which the nation 
has passed. 

As an integral part of the navy, its history is 
coeval with that important branch of the ser- 
vice. In giving, therefore, a condensed narra- 
tive of its achievements during the civil war, it 
is with just and honorable pride that its officers 
and men can point to the fact that they have 
been associated with those of the navy, ashore 
and afloat, and have always received cordial ac- 
knowledgment from the most distinguished naval 
commanders. 

At the commencement of the civil war the 
services of the marines were called into requisi- 
tion, and being well armed and disciplined, they 
were invaluable, in conjunction with our small 
army, especially during the time that necessarily 
elapsed before the newly-enlisted volunteers be- 
came acquainted with the practical duties of 
camp and field. In the beginning, when the 
arm}^ and navy was depleted by the resignations 
of the Southern officers, the corps lost its full 
share. These vacancies were rapidly filled by 
loj^al men, and the first duty to which they were 
called was on the 7th of January, 1861, when 
two hundred and fifty artillery and marines left 
New York on the steamer "Star of the West" 
to reinforce the garrison of Fort Sumter. The 
expedition failed, and on the 12th of the same 
month the steamer returned to New York with- 
out landing the troops. This failure was due to 
the removal of the buoys, lights, and ranges, 
thus rendering a successful entrance impossible 
at the time. During the same month a detach- 
ment, under Lieutenant Hebb, was sent to garri- 
son Fort Washington, on the Potomac, fourteen 
miles south of Washington. 

On the 22d of January the entire force at the 
Brooklyn barracks was put underarms, and held 
in readiness to repel an attack by an organized 
force in sympathy with the Confederates. On the 
12th of April, Lieutenant Cash, with the guards 
of the "Sabine," "Brooklyn," and "St. Louis," 
reinforced Fort Pickens, Fia., and received most 
complimentarjr acknowledgments from its com- 
mander, Colonel Brown. On the night of the 20th 
the " Pawnee," with one hundred marines on 
board, under the command of Lieutenant A. S. 
Nicholson, entered the liarborof Norfolk. Her 
arrival was not unexpected, and the men on the 
"Pennsylvania" and "Cumberland," several 
hundred in number, greeted her with cheers. 
All Norfolk and Portsmouth were thoroughly 
aroused by the arrival of the " Pawnee." Act- 
ing under orders, the garrison at the navy-yard, 



Copyright, 1886, by L. R. Hamersly & Co. 
1 



and the guards of the "Pennsylvania," " Cum- 
berland,' and "Pawnee," destroyed the yard 
and ships at that place, spiking the heavy guns 
and destroying property impossible to carry 
away. A correspondent of the New York Times 
thus wrote of the work that followed : " It is im- 
possible to describe the scene of destruction that 
was exhibited. Unweariedly it was continued 
from nine o'clock until about twelve, during 
which time the moon gave light to direct the 
operations. But when the moon sank behind 
the western horizon, the barracks near the 
centre of the yard were set on fire, that by its 
illumination the work might be continued. 
The crackling flames and the glare of light in- 
spired with new energies the destroying marines, 
and havoc was carried everywhere within the 
limits of orders. But time was not left to com- 
plete the work. Four o'clock of Sunday morn- 
ing came, and the ' Pawnee' was passing down 
from Gosport harbor with the ' Cumberland,' the 
coveted prize of the secessionists, in tow, every 
soul from the other ships and the yard being 
aboard of them save two. Just as they left their 
moorings a rocket was sent up from the deck of 
the ' Pawnee.' It sped high in the air, paused 
a second, and burst in shivers of many-colored 
lights. And as it did so, the well-set trains at 
the ship-houses, and on the decks of the fated" 
vessels left behind, went oflF as if lit simulta- 
neously by the rocket. One of the ship-houses 
contained the ' New York," a ship thirtj' j'ears 
on the stocks, and yet unfinished. The other 
was vaciint ; but both houses and the old ' New 
York' burned like tinder." 

In the first battle of Manassas, a battalion of 
three hundred and fifty otficers and men, mostly 
recruits, commanded by Major Reynolds, were 
present. The battalion left the barracks in 
Washington and reached the Virginia end of 
the Long Bridge at 3 p.m., July 16, and served 
in Porter's brigade as the support of Griffin's 
battery. Lieutenant Hitchcock and eight men 
were killed, two officers and seventeen men 
wounded, and sixteen missing. 

At the capture of Hatteras Inlet, August 30, 
the marines from the " Minnesota," " Wabash," 
and " Cumberland," under Captain Shuttle- 
worth, landed with the army, under General 
Butler, and entered Fort Clarke. 

On the night of the loth of September the 
Confederate privateer "Judah," at Pensacola, 
was destroyed by a detachment of marines and 
sailors. This brilliant afiair was not unattended 
with loss on our side, one private having been 
killed and three wounded. On the 8th of No- 
vember the squadron, under Flag-Officer Dupont, 
attacked the enemy's batteries at Bay Point and 
Hilton Head, and succeeded in silencing them, 
after an engagement of four ht)urs' duration, and 
driving away the squadron of steamers under 
Commodore Tatnall. The marines and a com- 
pany of seamen took possessicm of the forts, and 
held them until the arrival of the army. The 
hearer of the dispatches carried with him the 
first American flag raised upon the soil of South 
Carolina after the rebellion broke out. A sep- 
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arate battalion, under the command of Major 
Keynolds, left Hampton Koads on the transport 
steamer "Governor," with the other vessels of 
the fleet, and continued with them until the 1st 
of November. On that morning, at ten o'clock, 
the wind began to freslien, and by twelve or one 
blew so violently that they were obliged to keep 
her head directly to the w'ind, and thereby leave 
the squadron. 'Througliout the afternoon the 
gale continued to increase, though the " Gov- 
ernor" stood it well until about four o'clock. 
The vessel was much damaged by sea and wind, 
and was soon in a sinking condition. At day- 
break on the 2d preparations were made for 
sending boats to their relief, although the sea 
was running high ; and it being exceedingly 
dangerous for aboat to approach the guards of 
the "steamer, in consequence the boats laid off, 
and the men were obliged to jump into the sea, 
and then hauled into the boats. All hands were 
thus providentially rescued from the wreck, with 
the exception of one corporal and six privates, 
who were drowned or killed by the collision of 
the vessels. The firmness with which oflScers and 
men performed their duty was beyond all praise. 
For forty-eight hours they stood at ropes and 
passed water" to keep the sliip afloat. It is im- 
possible for troops to have conducted themselves 
better under such trying circumstances. 

No event of the war attracted more attention 
from other nations than that which has gone into 
history as the " Trent Affair." On the 8th of 
November, Lieutenant Fairfax, of the U. S. 
steamer "San Jacinto," received from Captain 
Wilkes orders to take command of two boats 
and board the steamer " Trent," then hove-to 
under the guns of the " San Jacinto." He was 
ordered to" demand the papers of the steamer, 
her clearance from Havana, and the list of pas- 
sengers and crew. In the event of the presence 
of the Confederate Commissioners, Messrs. Ma- 
son and Slidell, with Messrs. Eustis and McFar- 
land, on board, he was ordered to take them pris- 
oners and bring them on board the " San Jacinto." 
In obedience to these orders, Lieutenant Fairfax 
repaired alongside the British packet in an armed 
cutter, acconipanied by Mr. Houston and Mr. 
Grace. He went on board the "Trent" alone, 
leaving the two officers in the boats, with orders 
to wait until it became necessary to show some 
force. He was -shown up bj' the first officer to the 
quarter-deck, where he met the captain and in- 
formed him who he was, asking to see the pas- 
senger-list. The captain declined. Fairfax told 
him that he had infornuition of Messrs. Mason, 
Slidell, Eustis, and McFarland having taken 
passage at Havana in the packet for St. Thomas, 
and announced his attention to satisfy himself 
whether they were on board before allowing the 
steamer to proceed. Mr. Slidell, evidently hear- 
ing his name mentioned, stepped forward and 
asked if he was wanted. Mr. Mason soon joined 
them, and then Mr. Eustis and Mr. McFarland, 
when Lieutenant Fairfax made known the object 
of his visit. 

The captain opposed anything like the search 
of his vessel, nor would he consent to show 
3 



papers or passenger-list. The four gentlemen 
above mentioned protested also against being 
arrested. Mr. Houston was sent back to the 
"San Jacinto" with the information that the 
four sxentlemcn were on board, and of the posi- 
tion of atlairs. Lieutenant Greer almost imme- 
diatelj- arrived with eiglit marines, which made 
a total of sixteen in addition to the crews of the 
two boats. The four gentlemen were quietly 
transferred to Lieutenant Greer, after a protest 
on their part. The mail agent, who was a re- 
tired commander in the British navy, had much 
to say as to the propriety of the seizure, but 
Lieutenant Fairfax purposely avoided all official 
intercourse with him. The mail agent made 
some apology for his rude conduct as our force 
was leaving the steamer, and expressed, person- 
ally, his approval of the manner in which Lieu- 
tenant Fairfax carried out his orders. 

The officers of the steamer made a great many 
irritating remarivs to each other and to the pas- 
sengers in the presence of Lieutenant Greer and 
the" men ; tlie marines, especially, came in for a 
great share of abuse. 

On December 5 the marines, under the com- 
mand of Commander C. 11. P. Fvogers, took an 
active part in the capture of Warsaw Island, and 
on the 12th of the same month the marines 
of the "Dale" and "Isaac Smith" engaged in 
an expedition up the Ashepoo, and destroyed the 
headquarters of the enemy near Fen wick's Island 
Fort. Two weeks later the marines of the "Dale," 
under the command of Lieutenant W. T. Trux- 
tun, engaged and defeated an equal body of Con- 
federates in the South Edisto, S. C, near the 
house of Governor Aiken. 

One of the most important conquests in the his- 
tory of modern naval warfare was the fight in 
Hampton Roads, Va., in which the famous Con- 
federate ram, the "Merrimac," was engaged. 
Other pens have graphically described this en- 
gagement, and no portion of the history of the 
war is more familiar to the people of all sections 
than this. The marines of the "Minnesota," 
"Cumberland," "Congress," "Eoanoke," and 
"St. Lawrence" were engaged, and fought the 
guns to which they were assigned with accuracy 
and eflect. They justly won the admiration and 
praise of the whole loyal nation. The first shot 
from the " Merrimac" killed nine marines of the 
guard, under Lieutenant Hey wood, on the " Cum- 
berland." Lieutenant Hamersly, late of the 
Marine Corps, in his history of the operations of 
the navy during the war, says of the action of 
the " Cumberland" : " Of the gallantry of this ac- 
tion, which has furnished one of the brightest as 
well as one of the saddest pages to the naval his- 
tory of the world, it is difficult to speak in fitting 
terms." 

In February, 18G2, at Roanoke Island, in the 
capture of Elizabeth City and Edenton, the fall 
of Newbern, and the capture of Fort Macon, the 
marines were present and shared the honors of 
those victories with their brethren of the army 
and navy. In the early part of March, in the 
engagement under Flag-Officer Dupont, which 
resulted in the possession of Cumberland Island 
4 



and Sound, Fernandina and Amelia Islands, and 
river and town of St. Mary's, the fleet included 
the armed transport " McClellan," having on 
board the battalion of marines, under the com- 
mand of Major Keynolds. In the early part of 
May the marines of the "Susquehanna," "San 
Jacinto," "Dakota," " St. Lawrence," " Semi- 
nole," and " Mount Vernon" participated in the 
shellino- of Sewall's Point. In the engamcment 
with the fort on AVard's, or Drury's Blutl", eight 
miles from Richmond, the marine guard of the 
"Galena" lost one private killed. In June, 
Lieutenant Lowry,of the Wabash, in command 
of the marine guards of the "James Adger," 
" Keystone State," and " Albatross," engaged in 
an expedition up the Santee River to destroy the 
bridge. The expedition failed on account ot lack 
of water for the vessels to operate. 

Early in August, Captain Parker, command- 
ing the "Wabash," with one hundred sailors 
and one hundred marines, landed on Morris 
Island and erected a battery. For two weeks the 
marines and sailors worked, hauling their guns 
up the beach and getting them in battery. At 
the capture of New Orleans the marines more 
than maintained their reputation. On the morn- 
ing of the 24th of April, immediately after the 
action with Forts Jackson and St. Philip, and 
the destruction of the rebel fleet, the marines, 
under the command of Captain Brown, landed 
and took possession of the quarantine, at the 
same time taking prisoners the enemy quartered 
in the quarantine buildings, and hoisting the 
flag of the United States over the same. A bat- 
talion of marines, two hundred and fifty strong, 
under command of Captain Broome, disem- 
barked from the fleet on the ^Oth of April, and 
marched to the Custom House. A detachment 
under Captain Ramsay was left there to guard 
the flag then hoisted on the building. Captain 
Broome then marched to the City Hall, a dis- 
tance of half a mile from the vessels of the fleet, 
and near the centre of the city. The forces of 
General Lovell had not yet evacuated the city, 
and the squares and stre^ets were thronged with 
an excited mob, brandishing bowie-knives and 
revolvers, and hailing the marines with the most 
abusive language ; but the command marched in 
close order and firm steps to its destination. 
Three days before the arrival of General Butler 
the marines took po.-session of and held the 
public buildings of the city of New Orleans, 
literally perfecting the conquest of the city. 
For three days the force held in subjection the 
turbulent elements of the population of the city, 
and, at the end of that time, gave place to the 
troops under General Butler. The casualties in 
the marines during the capture of the forts and 
city were: killed, five; wounded, twenty-one. 
At the passage of the batteries at Vicksburg the 
marines asain participated, which resulted in 
one oificer and two privates being wounded. 
On the l')th of July, in the engagement between 
the Confederate ram "Arkansas" and the ves- 
sels of Farragut's fleet, one officer and one pri- 
vate were w<.unded. In the early part of Decem- 
ber a battalion of marines, under the command 



of Major Garland, en route to California, on the 
Pacific mail steamer "Ariel," was captured by 
Semmes in the " Alabama," off the eastern end 
of Cuba. The otticers and men were paroled, 
and the " Ariel," after a ransom of two hundred 
and sixty-one thousand dollars, was permitted to 
proceed on her journey. The battalion arrived 
in due course of time at Mare Island, when 
they were shortly afterwards exchanijed. One 
luindred and fifty men, under Captain Kintzinir, 
guarded the large amount of supplies and ord- 
nance at Cairo and Mound City, 111., and a de- 
tachment served on board the "Black Hawk," 
the flag-ship of Admiral Porter, and was en- 
gaged in the Red River Expedition. 

At four o'clock in the morning, in January, 
18()3, during the obscurity of a thick haze, two 
ironclad gunboats ran out of Charleston, S. C, 
by the main ship channel, and attacked the 
blockading fleet Most of the fleet were of the 
light class of purchased vessels, and suffered 
severely. On the " Keystone State" the casual- 
ties were large, almost one- fourth of her crew' 
being killed and wounded; the marineguard alone 
having one sergeant, one corporal, and six pri- 
vates killed, and one yirivale wounded. In the 
attack on Fort liudson, on the IGth of March, 
the marines of the "Hartford," "Richmond," 
and " Mississippi" lost heavily in killed and 
wounded, the marines of the " Richmond" hav- 
ing ^'■nearly a whole gmi^fi crew sivept away by a 
single shot." On the 13th of July a battalion, 
under the command of Ca])tairi Grayson, was 
placed at the disposal of the city authorities of 
New York, to quell the disturbances caused by 
the " Draft Riots," which duty was performed 
to the satisfaction of the authorities, and won 
their marked approbation. 

In the following August a battalion, under 
the command of Major Zeilin, sailed from New 
York to co-operate with the South Atlantic 
Squadron. The battalion was debarked on Mor- 
ris Island, when the camp was established. It 
participated in all of the subsequent engagements 
which resulted in the capture of the outer de- 
fenses of Charleston. On the night of the 8th of 
September the battalion furnished a detachment 
of one hundred men and seven officers, under the 
command of Captain C. G. McCauley, all volun- 
teers, to engage in the combined assault on Fort 
Sumter, " in which Lieutenant Bi-adford was 
mortally wounded, Lieutenant Meade captured, 
and thirty men killed, wounded, or missing." 
The marines in the " New Ironsides" partici- 
pated in twenty-six engagements while attached 
to that vessel off Charleston. 

On the 28th of December a detachment par- 
ticipated in the expedition, under the command 
of Lieutenant-Commander R. W. Meade, which 
destroyed the earth-works of the enemy at Stono, 
S. C. During this year the marines of the East 
Gulf Squadron, under Lieutenant Collum, were 
engaged on three occasions in expeditions on 
the coast of Florida. On the 1st of January, 
1864, Lieutenant Fagan, in command of a de- 
tachment, particijiated in the expedition which 
destroyed a Confederate vessel and valuable cargo 
6 



ill Murrill's Inlet. On the 19th of June, in the 
engagement between the "Kearsarge" and "Ala- 
bama," the marines ably sustained their reputa- 
tion, the actii)n having commenced by the rifle- 
gun on the forecastle, in charge of the marines, 
and its fire was rapid and eftective throughout. 
During the early piirt of July, in an engagement 
between the " Wyoming" and the batteries at 
Simonosaki, Japan, one private was killed and 
one wounded. Later in the same month, when 
the city of Washington was threatened by the 
Confederates, a battalion and a battery of how- 
itzers, under the command of Captain Forney, 
was stationed at Havre de Grace to repel the ex- 
pected attack upon the station. 

On the 5th of August, when Admiral Farra- 
gut made his attack on the defenses of Mobile, 
" the marines were aiiK^ng the foremost at every 
]ioint where bravery and discipline could aid in 
winning victory." About this time Captain 
Hey wood, the senior marine officer, could muster 
nearly eight hundred marines in the fleet of 
Admiral Farragut. At the capture of Fort 
Morgan, on the 22d of August, the marines of 
the fleet, under Captain Heyvvood, served on 
shore with the naval battery. In December, 
1864, two batteries of naval howitzers and nine 
companies of marines and sailors, under Com- 
mander Preble, ascended Broad Kiver, S. C, to 
co-operate with General Foster in establishing 
connection with General Sherman, who was on 
his " march to the sea." On the 30th they were 
repulsed at Boyd's Neck, but on the 6th of Sep- 
tember made a successful attack at Tullifinny 
Cross-Roads, in which twenty-one were killed 
and wounded. First Lieutenant Stoddard com- 
manded the marines, who numbered three hun- 
dred. When Charleston was abandoned, Lieu- 
tenants Stoddard and Williams occupied George- 
town, S. C, with six companies of marines, and 
Lieutenant Breese held the battery of fifteen 
guns. 

" Among the last and most momentous events 
of this war were the two attacks on Fort Fisher 
by Admiral Porter. About sixty vessels consti- 
tuted the fleet, and many of them, being heavy 
steamers, carried large guards. Lieutenant Pile, 
of the 'Juniata,' was killed in the first attack, 
and over fifty enlisted men were either killed or 
wounded in the second, where fourteen hundred 
sailors and marines constituted the assaulting 
column." After the capture of Fort Fisher, a 
portion of the marines of the fleet were stationed 
at City Point and Turkey Bend, in the vessels to 
which they were attached. 

During the gloomy hours which followed the 
assassination of President Lincoln, the conspir- 
ators, as they were arrested, with the exception 
of Mrs. Surratt, were taken to the navy-j'ard 
at Washington, and guarded by the marines 
until their removal to the arsenal. Paine, who 
was confined in an apartment on board of a 
monitor, in the extremity of his despair attempted 
suicide by beating his head against the iron walls 
of his cell. Any further attempts were frus- 
trated by the construction of a padded cap placed 
over his head, his eyes, nose, and mouth being 
7 



uncovered. On this monitor the autopsy on the 
body of Booth was performed by the skilled sur- 
geons of the army and navy. 

The services of the marines were recognized 
by the government by conferring brevets on 
twoity-two officers "for gallant and meritorious 
services," and on one for ^'' dlstlngui^Ited gal- 
lantry in t}ie presence, of the enemy.'" Medals of 
honor and honorable mention were also conferred 
on eighteen sergeatits, sixteen corporals, one drimi- 
mer, one fifer, and seventy-five privates. 

Thus ended the important incidents, so far as 
the marines were concerned, in connection with 
the civil war. If in this simple narrative of 
their services during those dark hours the writer 
has added an interesting page to the history of 
events, he will feel amply repaid by the knowl- 
edge that the motto of the corps is indicative of 
its deeds, and that the nation recognizes the debt 
it owes to tiie men who, in those trying times, 
nobly performed their duty. 

R. S. COLLTJM, 

Captain U. S. Marine Corps. 



UBRARY OF CONGRESS 




0Q0Eaa535'^H 



